Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder

Growing up in Minnesota, my Dad had a real big thing about eating corn at nearly every dinner. It’s a Midwest staple, dontcha know?!

My personal favorite: good old creamy sweet corn from the can! MY GOODNESS, it’s SO sweet and delicious and has me feeling all sorts of nostalgia just writing about it. I fondly remember mixing the creamy corn into my mashed potatoes and covering it in black pepper. A weird young girl I was… and still am, thank you very much.

These days I don’t find myself eating corn all that often (unless it’s in my famous turkey chili), but a few summers ago Tony’s mom gave us some really delicious sweet corn to use up and so my corn chowder-makin’ adventure began, and this beautiful vegan corn chowder.

To be honest, this recipe was inspired by a corn chowder I had in Napa at the Auberge du Soleil restaurant. I had never eaten anything similar before; the chowder was SO creamy, thick, and perfectly sweet. We had huge slices of bread to soak it up and nearly fell off our chairs after drifting into a sweet corn heaven. Dramatic, but true.

Welcome to the AK Summer Series

For the rest of the summer, we’ll be dedicating each week to select summer produce! Week 2 we’re celebrating all things CORN, continuing with this delicious vegan corn chowder. Stay tuned on the blog and on Instagram for each week’s produce highlight, fun videos, and more.

What’s in this vegan corn chowder?

This easy vegan corn chowder recipe is made with coconut milk, which makes it a cream-less, healthier version for you all to try. Each summer I love to make it at least once with seasonal sweet corn. You won’t need many ingredients for this corn chowder recipe, here’s the short list:

Sweet corn: feel free to use fresh or frozen corn.
Yukon gold potatoes: one of the secret ingredients for making this vegan corn chowder super creamy!
Vegetarian broth: to help blend the soup and keep the soup vegan & vegetarian.
Garlic: love a little flavor boost from garlic.
Onion & poblano pepper: these two veggies add an amazing flavor to the corn chowder.
Light coconut milk: the coconut milk adds the perfect amount of creaminess and a light, delicious sweetness. Feel free to use regular milk if you’re not vegan or dairy free.

The creamiest corn chowder (without any cream!)

The key to this super creamy vegan corn chowder? Besides the coconut milk, we’re also cooking down the potatoes and blending half of the soup to reach a lovely, thick, delicious texture! No cream, flour, or cashews necessary. I like to stir in sour cream as well (because I’m not vegan) but feel free to omit or use a vegan sour cream.

Looking to add a kick of heat or an extra veggie?

Feel free to swap the poblano pepper for a jalapeño for a little extra spice! If you want to pack in the veggies here feel free to dice a bell pepper with the veggies and enjoy sweet bites of pepper in every spoonful.

Our favorite curry twist

If you love curry flavor, try mixing in a teaspoon or two of curry powder for a coconut curry corn chowder. It’s SO good and adds an even more warming flavor to the soup.

Incredible vegan corn chowder in 4 steps

Cook the veggies. In a large soup pot start by cooking down all of the veggies with a little olive oil until the potatoes start to soften.
Add the broth. Slowly stir in the milk, vegetarian broth, and sour cream (if not vegan), scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir. Season with salt and pepper and then simmer the soup uncovered until the potatoes are tender.
Blend it up. To give a creamy texture, carefully blend half of the soup, then return the mixture to the pot. Stir it up and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Garnish & serve. I like to sprinkle my bowl with fresh cilantro, scallions, and an extra swirl of sour cream (if not vegan). You could also add a little regular cheese or vegan cheese on top! Serve with crackers or crust bread — this homemade bread would be AMAZING.

How to store & freeze corn chowder

To store: let the chowder cool completely, then store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To freeze & reheat: simply let the corn chowder completely cool, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat it, let the corn chowder thaw in the refrigerator, then simply reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.

Anyway, if you find yourself with a lot of sweet corn or if you just have a craving for corn chowder, then you need to try this recipe. You’re gonna want to slurp it up. Don’t forget the bread for dipping!

More ways to use fresh corn this summer

Get all of my corn recipes here!

If you make this vegan corn chowder recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap a picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. xo!

5 from 23 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Serves4 servings

Delicious, thick and creamy vegan corn chowder made without any cream or dairy! This easy vegan corn chowder recipe uses potatoes, coconut milk and a blender to get the most amazing texture. The perfect way to use up summer sweet corn!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced (can also use 1 seeded jalapeno)
4 cups diced yukon gold potatoes
4-5 cups cups fresh sweet corn (can also use frozen)
1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk (or regular milk if not vegan)
2 1/2 cups vegetarian broth
Optional if not vegan: 1/4 cup sour cream to give it additional creaminess
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
To garnish, if desired: greek yogurt or goat cheese, cilantro and scallions

Instructions

In a large soup pot over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, garlic, poblano, diced potatoes, corn and saute for 6-8 minutes or until potatoes start to soften.
Slowly stir in the milk, vegetarian broth and sour cream, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir. Next stir in salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered or until the potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.
To give a creamy texture, blend half of the soup (BE CAREFUL WHILE DOING THIS!) then return to the pot. Stir to incorporate and then taste and adjust seasonings as necessary — adding in more salt and pepper if necessary.
To serve, sprinkle with cilantro, a swirl of sour cream (if not vegan) and scallions. Serve with bread or your favorite crackers. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe Notes

If not vegan, feel free to use regular milk and/or add 1/4 cup sour cream to give it additional creaminess.
Feeling adventurous? Try adding in a teaspoon or two of curry powder for a coconut curry corn chowder!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 58.4gProtein: 8.9gFat: 7.1gSaturated Fat: 0.9gFiber: 9.7gSugar: 13.5g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on July 21st, 2020, and republished on July 18th, 2023.